As you can see we are back to bare gleaming marble floors again.

But tomorrow deliveries begin and it seems our air shipment arrived on Friday and is going through customs.

Today Booty and I went to IMM, a huge mall in Jurong East that has a number of furniture stores on the third level. Afterwards we took a cab to the quarentine station, which is north of Jurong near the zoo.

One of the more difficult requirements of Singapore is that when your pet arrives in Singapore you are not permitted to visit with them to see how they handled the flight or if the quarentine "handler" has the correct pet for quarentine. You just hand a piece of paper to them outside the airport and they are the only ones allowed inside to take your pet. When we visited with the cats later in the day they were really bent out of shape. Who knows what they endured.But today they seemed in much better spirits, purring and rubbing against me.

Singapore is a friendly place. People constantly smile and engage with the baby. They are helpful if you are lost and will offer up useful information. All the cabbies seem to like children and I think this is generally true of Singaporeans. Many public places have play areas for children. And Ikea has a huge play room and offers babysitting, (which I did not utilize because I am not THAT trusting).

Important to note*
Cabs are super expensive here! If you call a cab (instead of catching one) it costs an extra 3 dollars and if you happen to be travelling during peak commuting hours it is an extra 5 dollars.

Singapore Now.

The Conrad in Suntec city, is the same as I remember but our daughter is not.

Over the last few months S has grown enormously and now the things we did before are very different. Like try shopping with "Me, Mine!". Try eating in a nice restaurant when she is tired. Try getting her back in her stroller. Try getting that phone out of her hands.

Like taking candy from a baby?
They weren't talking about Sunbooty.

And I, my dears, am not the patient kind.

Tonite, at the first sign of an emotional storm during sleep transition, (where she lays on my chest and falls asleep) I put her in her crib and kissed her good night. Lights out. Seeya.

It is true I am working with two hours sleep but one would think given the luxurious surroundings I could go with the flow and order another pot of coffee, glass of wine etc.

This morning was worse after I realized I would not be getting any more sleep. I screamed, "Its not fair!" and H cancelled his phone meeting and took S out for one hour so I could take the edge off my painful fog.

The quarentine station is on the west side of town and it takes one half hour to drive there. The cats are ok but barely eating and drinking. Sissy, the shy one, hissed during the entire visit. She wasn't hissing at me but at the situation, ("Who are these other cats in here?!")Their room is like a tiny dog run, but air-conditioned with a view of the outside.The people running it seemed competent.
Tomorrow we will bring by a bed and toys and some smelly shirts of ours.

We are in a hotel in Bangalore now having moved out of our house. Tomorrow we fly for Singapore. The cats will go into quarentine until 30 days from May 5. Our stuff is supposed to arrive in 10 days (air shipment)and one month, (sea shimpent).

Before leaving India we purchased some local crafts like this portable stool with a painting on it. My favorite "before we move out of India" purchase was a red Rajistani armoir with paintings on the doors.

In India there is no such thing as a lime. Or lemon as we know it.
There are only unripe lemons, which are green or greenish yellow. They taste like limes but more sour. Making a good Marguerita here in India is difficult because it is hard to find rock salt and there are only puny green lemons.
Some people would argue that a lime is a baby green lemon. And from my quick ponderings on the web they could be right except that they are listed as different species: Lemon is Citrus x limon and Lime is Citrus x latifolia. What we get here in India doesn't taste quite limey enough which makes my favorite condiment, cilantro chutney, very different tasting. Hmmm.

In India the public restroom is along the side of the road over the gutter. This is also where people can set up shop to sell garden pottery, tender coconuts, rugs, children's toys,motorcycle helmets and other non-essentials. It is also where 50% of the population live, (sleep, bathe, laugh, cook etc.)

In India the time is five and a half hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time which makes people from India confused about appointment times. If the electrician makes an appointment with you for 4pm it is more likely that he will assume the appointment is for 9:30 pm at night at which time he may be busy and end up showing up the next week after you have hired someone else.

In India the best food is found in the portable food stalls located roadside in the cities. Now, if you aren't from India it is best to avoid these places because the flora and fauna that live in the local Indian stomach could beat the sh** out of the flora and fauna that live in your stomach, (which is what happens when you eat such treats). Too bad, you have to go to the posh hotels and eat overpriced western food prepared by locals which usually tastes, uh, different. Best thing to do is go to someone's house. Someone local that is. For dinner.

In India tradespeople (carpenters, plumbers etc.) are not schooled, nor are they usually paid very well so their work is less reliable. Don't get mad! You just paid them eight dollars for 2 hours work! This also applies to pedicurists. So when you find yourself with a toenail fungus, (like me) remember you only paid that woman 5 bucks for 2 hours work! Doesn't help does it?

In India everyone skims off the top. Even the honest people. They have to. That is the only way to survive now that the foreigners have come and jacked up the prices.

In India no-one is expected to follow laws. 'Cause no-one does.
Cool huh?

It has been a hot and stupid week for me. And I don't like to share my moronic side too much or this blog will become a complete waste. Husband has been travelling an impossible amount of time and this takes a big hunk out of my sanity. Partly because of the transitions and partly because he is more helpful than I would like to admit.
This is to explain scant writing. And.

We leave for Singapore in two weeks.

Yeah.

WTF!

Quarentine in Singapore

Reserve your quarentine station cage two months in advance.
We knew this months ago but weren't able to do anything about it since we weren't given the go ahead from Big Daddy Boss Man until two weeks ago. This means we may need to stick around a few weeks longer here in The Bangalore. This is ok because it will take 4 weeks for our stuff to arrive anyway and we were planning on living in a hotel( for 2 weeks) any how.

We also need to hold out for an air conditioned cage for two kitties. This is a requirement as the cats do get dehydrated very easily now that they are old ladies.

Well. One box at a time. If only I could get one box packed I could start the momentum.

Back in Singapore we ate at Jumbo Seafood. This was seafood with the local flava, which the H and I were a little skeptical about. Kind of fishy. More flipper than we were prepared for I think.



Anyway.

Walking around East Coast park beach we were made aware of the surplus of stray cats!Many camping out within yards of each other in the sand. Most with one ear clipped. This means the city has neutered them.

The baby made friends with our house hunter and nick-named him "naughty boy", (because he was late for an appointment). Now, unfortunately she is calling all men who look like they could be Chinese, Naughty Boy. The flight attendant at Singapore Airlines was puzzled by this but his female counterparts were in hysterics laughing.

How does the Singapore change in the seasons? Well, from the 14th floor the fog and rain are very interesting to watch. But are there seasons here? We have been missing the rain in Bangalore. And weather of any kind except for hot and dry.

I watched Revolutionary Road and Frost/Nixon on the plane trip and thought both were excellent, but sad. I don't know why but over the last 3 years I have noticed that movies affect me more deeply and I have to be careful about what I watch. Curious.

Today was a good day.

This morning Sun booty and I slept in (until 7:15) and had a good breakfast together of oatmeal and eggs. She seems to have grown over-night and her mood is happy and content. Our electricity didn't go out for the first morning since we moved here! So, our laundry was done early. L and her mum J came over for lunch and the girls played very well together. L has two older brothers so she is a very easy and happy kid. Her mum is also a very good-natured and kind person, so the company was superb.

After playing at home, our girl went to the playroom at the club with her nanny who she calls Channa (which means garbanzo beans in hindi). I sent the driver out to buy flowers and he came back with roses. :)

I went to the baker's and picked up some quiche, lemon merengue and bread. Their charge card machine was not working and I didn't have enough cash but they said to pay the rest later. This is a routine practice in India. I also found some hair bands that will work in the baby's hair, some light-weight toddler trousers and band-aids that don't wash off in the water, all at the local mall. While shopping on the street is cheaper, sometimes it is hard to find the "picky lady" things there.The malls can be a sad place however, as they are empty most of the time. The expats aren't spending like they used to and the prices at the mall are ridiculous. They like to put things on "sale" (as my brother J says, "Isn't everything for sale?") after they have marked them up sufficiently. For example, a salwar outfit (long top, pants and scarf) will be marked up to 2200 rupees (44 dollars) and then go on "sale" for 50% off. 20 bucks a bargain does not make.

My crack up baby thought that Sissy's bolt from the litter box was worth five minutes of belly laughing, especially as I imitated it over and over. We ended up on the rug laughing heartily together.

As I said, a very good day.

It is raining for the first time in months and the air is cool. The sound of the rain is quite lovely and I wish it would rain all night. The AC needs a rest.

MARCH 19!!!




Today is the girl's second birthday. I am going to give her this book for her birthday, (see slide show version).



Yesterday she had a high fever in the morning (following 4 high fever days), and after being on anti-biotics for four days! Sadly, she missed a trip to a farm with her class. Luckily, she knew nothing about it. I am disappointed seeing that we have been cooped up for days and we are "all about" farms.

Instead we called her pediatrician and had her make a house call to make sure there is nothing further we can do to help the booty girl. The doctor changed her meds from Taxim-o to Augmentin. She thinks Sunboot has a sinus infection and not a chest infection as the doctor at the hospital had thought.

I don't like anti-biotics. But a fever of 103 can only last for so long before one wonders. In India we don't like to messaround.

'Cause today is your birthday!
Dunnanunna Nunna,
We gonna have a good time!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Home One Year!!!

One of our cats sheds a lot and the only one who can brush her properly is Mr. D. Last week he gave me a big ball of hair and I put it in my pocket and forgot about it. Yesterday it came out in the wash in a rounded oval shape. I saw MOUSE. And added felt ears and a tail.

I also finished Sanbates crocheted slippers which she likes to wear to bed.

After all the complaints about not eating in India I had to stop and think. It has not been a fabulous culinary experience certainly.Partly this is because I like food that is raw, or lightly cooked OR cooked very slowly. Indians use a pressure cooker, which cooks the heck out of foods and is, according to the health "experts", not the best way to heat food. There is a smell that comes off a pressure cooker that resembles burnt rubber (this may be the rubber thingy that keeps the pressure valve locked properly).But I also realized that all my favorite Indian cooks are in America. As a rule my sister-in-law makes the best of everything I like and don't like. When making my list of Indian foods I DO like I found that most of what I enjoy is breakfast or snack foods.

Above is a picture of the Dosa, which is a breakfast food. I like it crispy and without sambar (again unless it is made by sister-in-law). Dosas are crispy lentil and rice pancakes served with soup and coconut chutney. The same batter makes idli, which tastes really, really healthy and is steamed instead of fried.The restaurant in San Francisco called "Dosas" makes good ones. The Indian restaurant in Belmont, Ma. also makes good dosas (nice and crispy). We used to have dosas after going to the Lakshmi Temple in Framingham, Ma., at "Udupi Palace", which is now closed. They were Wicked Good!

I also love the snack food, Dohkla at the Indian grocer on Moody street in Waltham, MA. It is also steamed but made with chic pea flour and garnished with cilantro, coconut and mustard seeds. Sister pours a little yogert over hers when it is still hot so it is moist.

Pao Wadda is like a potatoe burger with my favorite garnish, cilantro chutney. I love them at "Hot Breads" in Massachusetts.

Ghatia is a fried chip made from Chic pea (besan) flour. You can't get those here but H's parents bring them from Mumbai. I make myself sick eating them.

The sweets that I like in India are unlike sweets in the US as they are not baked. My favorites are Boondi Laddoo, Aradya, Mysore pak, and Ras Malai. The first two are round, moist cake-like cookies and the pak is like fudge, but made with a lot of gee and cardamom. Ras Malai sits in a sweet milky cardamom sauce and is sort of spongy, so when you bite it all the juice comes out. Sister in law and my h's best friend's wife, N makes them and they would kill you but luckily they only prepare enough of them to force you into hibernation for a day.

When going out for Indian food I usually eat Channa Masala with garlic nan. Channa is chick peas and nan is a flat bread.

When I am at the in-laws I eat everything because it is good. Not so when we go out or our cleaning nanny cooks.

Picky Picky!

My motto is:
If it doesn't taste good, don't eat.
Hence the -20 lbs.

Last night H went back to Singapore and we hope to join him next week now that we know it is a super place for kids.

What is amusing to me is the fact that we have been whining about leaving India for the last 6 months and now that it is happening I think I will miss some people here. Especially baby's friends! Their mum's (and the dads I know) are brilliant as well. Maybe they will come and visit us.

I hope that Sanbate is able to find as many good friends in Singapore and that mommy finds a job she likes. I hope Daddy comes to realize that baby needs a sibling and that starts to "happen". I hope that we can find a house we will stay in for at least 2 years.

In my enthusiasm for finding fresh Buffalo milk last week I drank some without boiling it first.

Desastre!

Diarreah all the next day accompanied by vomitting all night. The next morning, I felt fine. Am I superhuman now?

Husband says children die from unboiled milk here. Gee. In New Hampshire I was drinking fresh cow milk every day in the summer. And I never felt healthier!

Changi Airport, Singapore






Singapore airport is probably one of the best in the world for families travelling with children. It is also a capitalist's dream, housing a massive variety of shops and hotels within the airport.

For families with a little time on their hands there are lovely, modern playgrounds, fish ponds, craft stations and places for children to watch cartoons or clean up. There are also many toy stores for any kind of desire. We ran out of time and rushed our meal because we had spent so much time playing. For me, Singapore airport is kick a**.

Packaging is different here for some things like to go food, and milk. Yesterday we ordered some idli to go for Sanbate. The chutney and sambar were put in bags and the idlis were wrapped in large leaves and then newspaper with string. Milk comes in a bag here. Pouring it can be a challenge so you have to snip a tiny hole in the corner and hold it tight until you are ready and aimed to pour. I have spilled a lot of milk since arriving in India.

Note* Here are three definitions of Toned Milk:

Wiki.answers.com-
Toned Milk is heated to 900c. for 15 seconds. It is then homogenized to reduce the size of its fat globules. Then vitamins are added to milk. After pasteurisation and homogenization it is cooled to 40c.

Encyclopedia.com-
Toned milk is dried, skim milk added to a high‐fat milk such as buffalo milk, to reduce the fat content but maintain the total solids.

Dr.NDTV.com-
Toning can be defined as the addition of the constituted skimmed milk to whole buffalo milk so as to reduce the fat to 3%.

It tastes skim. Buffalo milk is very rich and tasty. We were able to get it easily in Bombay but no on seems to know how to get it here. I should probably keep asking.

Brain dead kya?



Occasionally, we order pizza from my least favorite of all the American pizza chains, Dominoes. And it isn't cheap. Last night I noticed what was on the napkin. Hunger help line? In India? I am sorry, but whoever decided on that one should be jobless. It made me feel like calling the number but I am practicing peacefulness and I don't think what I would have to say would be very kind.



Dolly is sitting here, (she needs a name) with the dishes that momma made. It looks like she needs a refill.

I chose icecream over gold. Inflated icecream at that.

I went to the village to look for simple gold earings for the baby because all she owns now are the nice ones, which she has begun to fiddle with. For 1.8 grams of gold the jeweler wanted 2500 rupees, which is about 50 bucks. This seemed steep to me as the earings were only 22 karat. I walked away with plans of checking the price of gold online.

Afterwards we went to Frosty's to get Ben and Jerry's and danish butter. I paid 1500 rupees for two pints of icecream and a pound of butter. That is about 30 bucks.

The dairy products will be gone in a few days.

Enough I say! It is enough! The US does not have any $ to pump into a stimulus bill! We gave it all away to the auto makers and banks. Please do not, I repeat, do not give any more (fictional) money away!!!

*******************************
This list is posted here with thanks to Alice, my long lost high school friend. She sent me a request via Facebook to make such a list. It took me most of an hour so here it is.

25 Random things about me

I (sometimes)think I am one of the worst people in the world
I worship my daughter and wonder at others who don't
If I can't create I feel destructive
I am a terrible nurse but a great counselor
Being a mom has made me more humble
Moving to India has been the best and worst experience of my life
My husband has helped to make me a better person instead of spoiling me and I am mad about that
I am good at a lot of things but when I am bad at something I suck
I like cleaning floors but hate doing the dishes
I have lost my appetite for food

Don't take away my chocolate
Meditation and yoga are two of my cures
I believe that poverty exists within one's character and that many economically impoverished people are rich with joy
I love movies but I hate TV
I would like to learn how to "Let it go"
I want to teach my daughter Truth, Beauty,Goodness, and Belongingness
I ask the question, "Why don't blue jeans go out of style?"
I want my dad back
I love the smell of horse poop
I am a dog person but have only had one dog

This list is taking me forever!
I like the color of cardboard
I hate chewing gum
It has been a really long time since I dreamed I was flying

I am not the yes and no of my mind

Went to the ashram last Sunday in hopes that the guru was in station but I knew immediately upon arrival he was not. It was very quiet and the parking lots were nearly empty.

The satsang was Lame-O due to the fact that it started at 5pm (instead of the scheduled 430) and ended at 530 (not the usual 6pm) with a half hour of testimony from Art of Living course takers instead.

Luckily the Ayurvedic practitioner was in his office. The study of Ayurveda is "the knowledge of longevity" and the "doshas" air, fire and water that exists within the body. We walked into his office and we were given an immediate consultation. Mine cost twice as much as my husband's (due to my expensive skin color) but later we joked that I received twice as much information. I took notes and the husband did not.

The ashram pharmacy was closed due to the (fictional) satsang so Suresh and I drove around the next day looking for Ayurvedic pharmacies. Kind of interesting where these places are located- EVERYwhere. But they don't stock everything. So search we did until I got tired driving around and sent Suresh into THE CITY. He was gone for 4hours.

My Treatment:
I am Pitta/fire (really?)with a vata/wind imbalance.
Part of my body is not in harmony with the Pitta. (?) Take a guess what part.
My treatment will last 2-3 months and consists of a twice daily dose of the following 3 herbs.

The 4000 year old herb, Ashwagandha is manufactured by Stresscom. This herb is heat neutral and is compared to ginseng because of its anti-inflammatory qualities. It helps in depression, anxiety, paranoia (yes, yes and yes that is me) and is often given to men to increase sperm.

Shatavari (she who posesses 100 husbands) is the female version of Ashwagandha. It is used for reproductive issues and digestion. It is made by Himalaya.

Guduchi Churna was only available in powder, (YUCK). This herb was created when Indra was giving nectar to Rama's dying monkeys as they battled Ravana. A drop from the nectar fell to the ground and up sprang Good Ol' Guduchi. This herb increases strength and is a rejuvenator.

If the ashram pharmacy was open we would be taking Sri Sri Ayurveda products but alas we could not wait until the attendants decided to come back so we may have inferior products. Stay tuned for the effects.

I have been getting back into my "hand work" mode over the last few weeks, knitting, crocheting, felting, sewing and clay modeling. Sanbate's doll has new dresses, and there are some flower fairies hiding in the coconut shell we brought back from Bombay, (mom was making coconut chutney). Sanbate's dolly also has some new clay dishes that are drying out for painting. What fun!




Sanbate really digs this cd, by Amadou and Mariam and prefers to dance with dad than me, (a wild dancer).